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Maharashtra: Fans of Mughal bigot Aurangzeb get offended by Facebook post, stone-pelting leaves four policemen injured

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Fans of Mughal bigot Aurangzeb get offended by Facebook post, stone-pelting leaves four policemen injured

As many as four policemen have been injured after an unruly mob of around 150 people in Maharashtra’s Osmanabad took to the streets to protest against a social media post that allegedly criticised Mughal bigot Aurangzeb.

The incident took place on Tuesday night at 10:30 PM in the Vijay Chowk area. As per the police, the mob expressing their anger over a Facebook post pelted stones on vehicles and vandalized banners and hoardings. 

Four policemen including Inspector Surve sustained injuries when trying to control the violent mob. “The mob vandalized a hoarding, a police vehicle and an auto-rickshaw in Vijay Chowk area. Four policemen, including an officer, were injured while they were trying to stop the mob,” confirmed Osmanabad city police station’s inspector Suresh Budhwant to PTI. 

Auto vandalized by the violent mob. Image Source: Osmanabad Live

A case has been registered against 43 people who were named and over 150 unnamed protestors under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. 

As per Osmanabad Live, a local news portal, it all started with a group of people from a particular community removing a Hindu religious flag hoisted at the Chowk during Navratri and replacing it with their flag on the occasion of their religious festival. 

This led to tensions between the two groups after which using a social media post as an excuse, the unruly mob resorted to stone-pelting and vandalism.

We reported earlier on how social media is used by Islamists to validate attack, murder, arson and vandalism. Be it the Bengaluru riots over an alleged Facebook post or the systematic attack on Hindus in Bangladesh, a stray Facebook post is always cited as the reason to justify violence.  

SIT releases six photos of suspects who lynched BJP workers on October 3 violence in Lakhimpur Kheri

OpIndia Staff
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SIT releases six photos of suspects who lynched BJP workers on October 3 violence in Lakhimpur Kheri

Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Uttar Pradesh Police investigating the October 3 Lakhimpur Kheri violence has released six photographs of suspects who had allegedly lynched three BJP workers during farmers’ protest. According to the media reports the faces of the suspected persons are visible in the photographs and videos of the incident in the possession of SIT. In photographs unknown suspects are seen standing close to burning SUV with sticks and black flags.

Other than the BJP workers, a journalist and four farmers had died during the violence. Protesters accused that a convoy of vehicles including one owned by Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister of State Ajay Mishra ran over the protesters killing four farmers on the spot. In the subsequent violence, protesters lynched BJP workers. Deceased BJP workers were identified as Shubham Mishra, Shyam Sunder Nishad, and Hari Om Mishra. Deceased journalist was Raman Kashyap who became a victim of brutality. The police is currently trying to ascertain whether the attack on BJP workers was planned or ‘retaliatory’.

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh had formed the SIT following the incident. SIT has urged people to identify suspects in the photographs and released four mobile numbers on which people can give information to SIT about them. While the name of informers will not be disclosed, the SIT has also announced cash prizes on useful information without mentioning the amount as cash prize.

Right after the SIT displayed pictures of suspects the Congress-left oriented human right groups and activists started to criticize the SIT. Activist Trilochan Singh Gandhi, an activist criticized the police for sharing pictures of farmers without identifying their names or without evidence of their role in the violence may put them in peril. 

But ADG (Lucknow zone) SN Sabat rubbished the allegation and said that the display of the picture was part of the legal process that doesn’t violate human rights.

So far, SIT has collected around 100 videos of October 3 violence. In the past  five days SIT issued notices to three dozen people to record their statement. On Tuesday, the SIT recorded statements of seven persons who were present at the site. In this case the police have arrested 10 people, including minister’s son for the deaths of the farmers.

23-year-old aspiring model stabbed to death by jilted lover in Delhi, three arrested: Here’s what happened

OpIndia Staff
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23-year-old aspiring model stabbed to death by jilted lover in Delhi, three arrested: Here’s what happened

On the intervening night of October 18 and October 19, a 23-year-old woman identified as Dolly Babbar alias Kishu was stabbed to death by a man in Delhi. Reports suggest that Dolly had rejected the advances of Ankit Gaba, the main accused in the case. She was stabbed in Uttam Nagar, Dwarka, close to her residence. According to the Police, she was stabbed at least six times. She was found lying in a pool of blood by a delivery person at around 1:20 AM. On seeing the injured woman, he called up the Police.

Babbar’s family has alleged that the main accused had threatened her with a pistol earlier. CCTV footage of the incident has emerged which have gone viral on social media networks. In the video, three men were seen standing with the woman. One of them suddenly began stabbing her while the other two watched. The family has alleged that several residents of the locality heard her screams, but no one came out to help her.

Police have arrested the main accused Ankit Gaba and two others Manish and Himanshu in connection with the case. The other two were with Anit when he committed the crime.

Dolly was stabbed just 300 meters away from home

Babbar, who worked as a freelancer with event management companies, was an aspirant model too. Before leaving the house, she told her family members that she was going to attend a birthday party. Dolly left home at around 11 PM, and she was stabbed at around 1 PM, just 300 meters away from her home. A senior police officer investigating the case told The Indian Express that they got the call late at night that an incident had happened at Matiala Road in Om Vihar near Uttam Nagar in west Delhi. 

The officer said, “We received a call about a woman lying on the road. We reached the spot and found her with multiple stab wounds. The men had fled. We informed the family and rushed the woman to a hospital, where she was declared dead. We spoke to neighbours who said they had seen a man, identified as Ankit Gaba (25), attacking her with a knife. We were told he had proposed to her earlier.”

Accused had threatened her with a gun earlier

The Hindu quoted Sudarshan Kumar Babbar, Dolly’s father, saying that Dolly had told her grandmother she was leaving for a birthday party and would be back in an hour. Babbar alleged that they were kept in the dark over the details. He said, “I saw my daughter bleeding and sitting on the road face down. I don’t know whether she was alive or dead, but the Police called for an ambulance, which came an hour late, and we just kept sitting there looking at her body from a distance. What if she was alive and the Police didn’t call the ambulance on time?” Dolly was declared as brought dead in the hospital.

He further added, “In the CCTV footage, three men are visible. We know all of them as they stay in the same area and have been friends with Kishu. One of them attacked her with a knife, after which she ran towards our street, bleeding from her arm. She then called her friend for help. Within minutes, this man returned and struck her again. The three of them then fled.”

Dolly’s brother Lakshay said in a statement that Dolly had informed one of her friends that Ankit had threatened her with a gun. “I wish we could have reached earlier. We were sleeping when the Police informed us. I saw her lying on the road. There were many people, but nobody helped. Dolly didi wanted to start her event management work again. She was friendly and treated them (the accused) like brothers,” he said.

Meena, Dolly’s mother, described her as bright and hopeful. Dolly was helping her father in managing finances at the house. She said, “I wish I had stopped her from going outside. She was young and bright. Due to the lockdown, she had lost contracts but was starting to get work again. I was happy and hopeful; she was running this house. Her father drives an autorickshaw; who will help us now? I just want justice for my daughter.”

Sanjana, Dolly’s cousin, said Gaba had approached her several times, but she did not show any interest. “They have known each other since childhood. He is involved with local gangs and had been threatening her,” she added.

Shankar Chaudhary, DCP (Dwarka), said that multiple teams had been deployed to arrest the three accused. Family and neighbours are being questioned in the case.

Residents claimed the spot was famous for anti-socials

The residents of the locality claimed that the spot where she was killed is famous as the meeting spot of anti-socials. Anita, who lives near the spot where Dolly was killed, said, “We have complained to the Police several times, but nobody listens. Last night, I heard the woman’s screams and saw the three boys, but they fled by the time police came.” The residents claimed they did not date to help Dolly, fearing their own safety. “We even put up a CCTV camera there, but someone stole it. Every day, the local boys consume liquor there and threaten us if we speak out about it,” they said.

Zomato, Fabindia, farmer’s protest, superstar’s son: what recent controversies taught me about the liberal worldview

Abhishek Banerjee
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Zomato, Fabindia, farmer’s protest, superstar’s son: what recent controversies taught me about the liberal worldview

Canceling people online is easy. In fact, that is probably what Twitter is for. In fact, if we did not cancel people online, what would the modern left do with all that free time? We go online to cancel people. It is what makes us better than all those who came before us, from Lincoln to Roosevelt, or even J K Rowling.

So imagine my surprise the other day when I discovered liberals raising their voice against this great internet tradition.

Suhasini Haidar’s tweet

Economic terrorism? Those are some really strong words against people who merely trended a hashtag calling for boycott of a clothing brand.

If they are economic terrorists, what do you call a group of people who have now blocked the highways around Delhi for almost a year? The damage they have caused to industry and the livelihoods of people is in the thousands of crores. They say that unless the government accepts their demands, they will block road and railway traffic for as long as they like. For that matter, they organized a nationwide “rail roko” only yesterday. So what do we call these people?

I know. We can’t say anything to them. Even if they storm the Red Fort on Republic Day and plant their own flag. Even if they bring their own religious police and execute a poor Dalit farm laborer in full Taliban style, we cannot say anything to them. We must grovel before them. We must address them as “annadata,” the form of address that zamindars have always demanded from the peasants who toil on their land. That’s liberal privilege.

Let us examine more closely why the folks who trended the hashtag were angry with Fabindia. They were objecting to the term “Jashn-e-Riwaz,” which they felt was a rebranding of Diwali. All around the world, what you call something is a big deal. Because names are markers of identity and culture. If you take our names away, you are wiping out our identity. These days, even pronouns are a big deal. So why would liberals think it is too much for a group of people to trend a hashtag against what they considered to be a renaming of Diwali?

Okay, so Fabindia says that Jashn-e-Riwaz was not a reference to Diwali at all. I will take them at their word. If you can think of any other festival, celebrated around this time, that the accompanying photo seems to suggest, please let me know. In any case, this article is not about Fabindia, but about the online reactions on all sides.

Now let us see what happened here. This is from yesterday.

Zomato controversy

Apparently, some customer service representative at Zomato told someone that all of us should know at least a little Hindi. Along with that, she also quoted a longstanding myth from the Doordarshan era that Hindi is our “national language.” The customer, who apparently was based in Tamil Nadu, was not happy.

So what about the folks who were so outraged by this remark that they started trending #RejectZomato on Twitter? Anyone calling them “economic terrorists”? Never. Like those who called for a boycott of Zomato, the folks who called for a boycott of Fabindia were also anguished about their identity. One group was anguished about linguistic identity and the other about religious identity. What is the difference? The difference is liberal privilege.

What do we learn from this? There is identity politics and then there is identity politics. There is the identity politics that helps liberals win votes and there is identity politics that makes liberals lose votes. The two are treated differently.

Was the customer service representative wrong to say that everyone should know a little Hindi? Absolutely, yes. But was she some kind of govt functionary or big corporate executive? Not at all. She was a small time employee, making a humble living.

But liberals had no mercy on her. They wanted her to be fired. That too at this time of the year, just before ‘Jashn-e-Riwaz’.

Could the liberals not forgive her for making a mistake? Of course not. Because words like “mistake” and “forgiveness” are applied to the sons of superstars. Not some customer service representative who makes a few thousand rupees a month. I don’t know if superstar’s son is guilty or not. I suppose courts will decide. But I have seen liberals falling over themselves talking about “mistakes” and “forgiveness.”

As for the customer service representative, how rich and powerful is her dad? I am guessing not very much. So she has no luxury of making mistakes. She deserves no forgiveness.

We have now reached the single most important principle of modern liberalism. Browbeat those who have no power, but always grovel before the strong.

Trolls share old, edited video to claim Sudarshan News chief was ‘beaten up by people’, Suresh Chavhanke vows to take legal action

OpIndia Staff
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Trolls share old, edited video to claim Sudarshan News chief was ‘beaten up by people’, Suresh Chavhanke vows to take legal action

Suresh Chavhanke, CMD & Editor-in-Chief, Sudarshan News, warned a YouTube channel for spreading old and unrelated videos with claims that he was beaten up by people.

In a Tweet (in Hindi), he wrote, “This news is completely fake. The video of the years-old demonstration is being cut and made viral with claims that it was shot among the farmers. Nothing like this has ever happened in my life. Abhisar Sharma videos are on this channel. The owner is Salman. I will take legal action against whoever spreads this.”

The video has been made private on the channel The Live TV.

The video has been made private on YouTube. Source: YouTube

However, before it got deleted from YouTube and Facebook pages of the channel, it was downloaded and re-uploaded by several others, including the verified Facebook page of Uttarakhand Youth Congress.

Youth Congress, Uttarakhand uploaded the video that has been deleted by the original channel. Source: Facebook

In the last couple of days, several videos have popped up on different social media networks making the same claims.

Source: Facebook
Source: Youtube

It all started when some Twitter users began to post an old video of Chavhanke claiming that he was beaten up and the Police saved him. Congress’s Kamaludin Ansari and Journalist Ramurti Holkar are among those who had spread the video with false claims.

Congress Source: Twitter
Source: Twitter
Source: Twitter
Source: Twitter
Source: Twitter

The reality behind the video

The video is originally from Janta March that took place in November 2020. A large group of people, including reporters, leaders and the general public, had participated in the event.

The march, organised by the Sudarshan News chief, was held to raise awareness and protest against the systemic targeting and violence against Hindu girls at Delhi’s India Gate on November 1. The particular video that has been making rounds is from the time when Chavhanke was being detained by the Police.

JMM MLA alleges CM Hemant Soren’s former friend is trying to topple Jharkhand government

Vijay Deo Jha
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JMM MLA alleges CM Hemant Soren’s former friend is trying to topple Jharkhand government

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MLA Ramdas Soren has accused its own former party leader of attempting to topple the Hemant Soren led JMM-Congress-government in Jharkhand. The Ghatsila MLA has lodged an FIR against Ravi Kejriwal and Ashok Agrawal at Dhurwa police station in Ranchi.

Ravi Kejriwal served as treasurer of the JMM till he was sacked from the post and expelled from the party for six years in August last year. Ravi Kejriwal is said to be used to manage business and financial interests of the Shibu Soren family and he enjoyed the status and confidence as the right hand of Shibu Soren and Hemant Soren. He was not less than a friend of Hemant Soren. It is apparent that his removal was not driven by any political reason. But none in the JMM talk as to when and why and when their relation worsened. Ashok Agrawal is said to be the business friend of Ravi Kejriwal.

Ravi Kejriwal (left) offering sweets to JMM patriarch Shibu Soren

This is the second such FIR in the last three months lodged by any MLA of the ruling alliance specifically alleging that attempts are being made to pull down the Hemant Soren government. In July when Congress Bermo MLA Jaimangal Singh had lodged the FIR police had arrested three persons who are by profession fruit seller, petty contractor and casual labourer respectively.  

On July 22, Congress’ Bermo MLA Jaimangal Singh lodged an FIR at Kotwali police station that some powerbrokers are contacting MLAs to topple the government. Police arrested Amit Singh (casual labourer), Abhishek Kumar Dubey (petty contractor) and Nivaran Prasad Mahto (fruit seller) for hatching conspiracy against the Hemant Soren government with a Maharashtra based politician. Police claimed that they had travelled to Delhi along with two Congress MLAs and an Independent to negotiate the deal with BJP’s Maharashtra based politician Chandrashekhar Rao Babankule and Charan Singh. This FIR had come at a time when Congress MLAs had turned critical about the performances and policies of the government.

Reminding the previous case the BJP said that when the Congress party and MLAs were unhappy with the government a similar case was lodged. “I dare chief minister Hemant Soren to order an enquiry of both the cases by a sitting High Court judge. I don’t know why the government plays the same script every time? He should hire a better script writer,” Jharkhand BJP president Deepak Prakash told OpIndia.

The FIR was lodged on October 12 under section 124 A (sedition), 171 E (bribery), 120 B (party to the criminal conspiracy) and 34 (act done by several persons) of IPC and section 8 and 9 of Prevention of Corruption Act on complaint of Ramdas Soren. Hatia DSP Vineet Kumar has been assigned the investigation.  

Ramdas Soren’s complaint

“Many MLAs in the JMM and the UPA alliance may not be happy with the chief minister. This case is a signal that you are being watched if you are unhappy. The kind of majority Hemant Soren enjoys in the assembly it is very difficult for the BJP or anybody to split the JMM and the Congress. Let the police investigate but the interesting fact is that this time the finger has been raised on Ravi Kejriwal. After all Ravi remained a loyalist of the Shibu Soren family all these years,” said a former JMM leader.

The MLA has alleged that in the first week of October, Ravi Kejriwal and Ashok had visited his residence with an offer to split the JMM to topple the Hemant Soren government. The MLA also said that Ravi Kejriwal also spoke to him over phone a couple of times.

“Ravi Kejriwal offered me money and ministerial post in return. He said that me there is a plan to form the government in Jharkhand with the help of the BJP. He said that he is talking to other MLAs also and they are ready to pay any amount,” the MLA told the media.

The JMM spokesperson Suprio Bhattacharya accused the BJP of trying to dislodge the Hemant Soren government. “We are alert and aware that attempts are being made to disturb the government. If the BJP believes that it can execute the conspiracy with the help of some traitors then I feel pity,” he said.

The BJP rubbished the allegation and termed it a state managed stunt. “This is a sponsored sensation created by the government to divert attention from the real issues since the government has failed on every front. Also whenever there is dispute in the JMM and the ruling alliance this kind of sensation is created. People want to know the status of the case lodged by Jaimangal Singh where the Congress MLAs were specifically targeted,” said former MLA and Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Kunal Sarangi told OpIndia.

Few days back Shibu Soren’s granddaughters Rajshree Soren and Jaishree Soren formed Durga Sena in the name of their father late Durga Soren. Durga Soren was pegged as the political heir of his father Shibu Soren but unfortunately he died due to prolonged illness in 2009. Durga Soren’s wife Sita Soren is also a JMM MLA and she has been very critical to the government on different issues.

In this case Ranchi police has not yet filed a chargesheet. But the nondescript background of three accused fuelled suspicion whether such persons can be the part of such a high profile game. The case brought embarrassment for the Congress as selective leaks were made that the accused and others had contacted as many as nine Congress MLAs their plan was going in the right direction. 

The government relented after AICC secretary and Congress’ Mahagama MLA Deepika Pandey Singh after she threatened against character assassination of Congress MLAs.

Mosques in Indonesia to get acoustic fix to soften the volume of loudspeakers, over 70,000 mosques already fixed

OpIndia Staff
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Mosques in Indonesia to get acoustic fix to soften the volume of loudspeakers, over 70,000 mosques already fixed

In an effort to reduce the sound pollution caused by loudspeakers installed on mosques, Indonesia has started to cap the maximum volume of loudspeakers. The Indonesian Mosque Council has undertaken a project to check and fix the sound systems that cause high noise pollution in all the mosques in the country.

Indonesia is the largest Muslim country, with close to 13% of the world’s Muslim population. There are around 800,000 mosques across the country which pose a major problem because of the prayer calls at high volume over the loudspeakers. Reports suggest that 7,000 technicians are working on the project. They have already fixed the volume of speakers at over 70,000 mosques across the country and aim to check and repair the loudspeakers at all mosques.

Jusuf Kalla, Chairman of, Indonesian Mosque Council, said in a statement that around half of the mosques have loudspeakers with poor acoustics that is adding up to the noise problem. Azis Muslim, IMC’s acoustics programme coordinator, pointed out that people in Indonesia believe that the loudspeakers should play prayer calls at high volumes so that worshippers can hear them from far away. “They consider it a symbol of greatness in Islam,” he said.

Ahmad Taufik, Al-Ihkwan mosque, Jakarta, used the program to get the speakers fixed though it is not mandatory. He said he wanted to ensure there was social harmony among the people of Indonesia. “The sound is softer now. That way, it will not disturb people in the neighbourhood, not to mention we have a hospital behind the mosque,” he said.

Increased level of anxiety among the residents

Experts believe that speakers playing Azaan at high volumes in the wee hours is adding up to the anxiety among the residents around the mosques. Bangkok Post narrated the story of one Rina who has developed an anxiety disorder as the mosque near her house not only play prayer calls but also wakes up people an hour before at around 3 AM. However, she was reportedly too scared to report as people had been jailed or faced backlash over such complaints in the past. Reports suggest that criticism of such practices can lead to accusations of blasphemy which may result in up to five years in jail.

Rina told AFP, “The loudspeakers are not only used for call to prayer, but they also use it to wake people up 30-40 minutes before the morning prayer time.” There have been online complaints about the loud volume, but there is a serious lack of official statistics on the matter.

A Buddhist woman was jailed in 2018 over blasphemy charges after she claimed that the prayers were hurting her ears. Actress and influencer Zaskia Mecca were heavily criticized online after she spoke against the speaker volume during Ramadan.

Indonesia has been trying to control loudspeaker volume for long

This is not the first time that Indonesia has tried to control the speaker volume at Mosques. In 2012, the administration had met over 1,000 representatives of the Mosque Council and requested them to lower the volume of the call for prayers. However, the council did not budge and claimed “any lowering of the volume would be counterproductive because Muslims need to be “alerted” to their duties.”

In 2015, another attempt was made to tackle the volume problem. At that time, around 100 technicians were deployed to tune the volume of the loudspeakers at the mosques. Usman Roin, one of the technicians, was quoted by the Anadolu Agency saying that the main issue was the lack of maintenance of the loudspeakers and sub-standard equipment.

Yet another attempt was made in 2018 when Indonesia announced that it was planning to bring guidelines over the use of loudspeakers in the mosques. The step was taken after a Chinese-Indonesian Buddhist woman was jailed for 18 months over blasphemy charges for raising her voice against the loudspeakers at mosques.

Noise issues associated with loudspeakers at mosques

Indonesia is not the only country that has attempted to control the volume of loudspeakers at mosques. In June 2021, the Saudi Arabia government restricted the volume of loudspeakers in mosques after series of complaints were filed over high volumes.

Several incidents have happened in India where people from two communities have clashed over loudspeaker volumes at mosques. Notably, as per Supreme Court’s guidelines, loudspeakers cannot be used anywhere, including places of worship between 10:30 PM to 6 AM. In June 2020, a young woman from Mumbai was hackled by Islamic fundamentalists after she requested them to lower down the volume. Rape threats were issued to a social media user after she asked Muslims to recite Azaan at a lower volume.

Rajput women in Rajkot perform ‘Talwar Raas’, ‘liberals’ are triggered: Read about the tradition here

OpIndia Staff
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Rajput women in Rajkot perform ‘Talwar Raas’, ‘liberals’ are triggered: Read about the tradition here

To showcase the tradition of weapons training among women in some martial clans, over 200 Rajput women participated in ‘Talwar Raas’ in Rajkot on Tuesday at a five-day festival organized by the Royal family of Rajkot. 

In ‘Talwar Raas’, Rajput women dress up in traditional colourful clothes and perform a traditional dance form using swords, displaying various skills. Kadambari Devi, the princess of the Royal family of Rajkot said, “Talwar Raas has been held for the last twelve years. Every year there is a new group and women participate with full enthusiasm.”

“The sword is like a goddess and that is why we do Shastra Puja,” added Kadambari Devi.

The event is to keep alive the history of Rajput women warriors and send out a message that women today are just as powerful as they were years back. 

‘Liberals’ diss at women exhibiting strength and skills

The ‘Talwar Raas’, however, has not been well received by the so-called liberals who claim to champion the cause of women empowerment. From comparing it to Muharram to calling it ‘Sanghi terrorism,’ the liberals were frightened by the sight of women displaying power and strength. 

“This could be tricky. Whether call it Upper Caste Supremacy, or Women Empowerment or Simply Sanghi Terrorism?” Tweeted a user. 

“Age of sword has gone, now is the Era of education. What is %of Rajput women who secured degrees?” questioned one Satish Patil. 

Whereas, one Jitesh said, “Similar to Muharram procession without blindfolds in my book.”

“What would you have said if the same act was performed by women of other religions?” asked Mohammed Shahid. 

“They need Pens/Books not Swords. Or they will spend their rest of the lives in ghunghat,” remarked another Twitter user. 

Ironically, the nay-sayers will have no qualms promoting foreign ‘self-defense’ techniques but shiver at the sight of traditional Indian art and culture. 

What is ‘Talwar Raas’

As per Dr Utpala Desai, a scholar of the folk traditions of Gujarat, Talwar Raas was created to commemorate Rajput war heroes who died in the historic war of Bhuchar Mori (July 18, 1591).

This is not the only Raas performed in Gujarat. Around six types of Raas are performed by various communities including the agrarian community, warrior community, seafaring community and even Muslim Maldhari community. 

The description of Raas can also be found in various Puranas like Harivamsa Purana, Vishnu Purana and Bhagavad Purana. It typically involves 16-20 musicians and dancers with a set structure.

Elated to be a part of the program, one participant said, “Wars have been fought using swords and it’s a part of Rajput society. It is believed that Rajput women stay veiled inside their homes and don’t step out due to fear, but today these women are displaying their sword skills without any fear.”

“Swords have an extremely important place in our community and without it a Rajput is incomplete,” said another participant, Kiritba.

Uttar Pradesh: PM Modi inaugurates Kushinagar airport, delegation of monks from Sri Lanka brings Buddha’s relics for the ceremony

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: PM Modi inaugurates Kushinagar airport, delegation of monks from Sri Lanka brings Buddha’s relics for the ceremony

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 20 inaugurated the Kushinagar international airport, Uttar Pradesh in the presence of a special Buddhist delegation from Sri Lanka and ambassadors of at least 10-15 countries where Buddhism is practiced and preached. 

While speaking at the inauguration, PM Modi expressed his happiness and satisfaction on the completion of the international airport. “Kushinagar International Airport is the result of decades of hopes & expectations. My happiness is two-fold today. As curious about the spiritual journey, I’ve a sense of satisfaction. As a representative of Purvanchal area, it is time for the fulfilment of a commitment,” said the PM.

He further informed that after Lucknow, Varanasi and Kushinagar, the development of yet another international airport in the district of Jewar is progressing at a good speed. PM Modi also said that in a bid to strengthen aviation, the government will launch eight new flying training schools. Kushinagar is the 9th airport in Uttar Pradesh.

A special delegation

The special delegation which comprises of anunayakas (deputy heads) of all four Nikatas (orders)- Asgiriya, Amarapura, Ramanya, Malwatta of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, as well as five ministers of the country’s government led by cabinet minister Namal Rajapakshe had departed from Sri Lanka to arrive for the inaugural ceremony in Uttar Pradesh early this morning.

The delegation arrived with the relics of Buddha accompanied by a 12-member Holy Relic entourage led by the current mahanayaka of the Waskaduwa Temple. 

Protocols followed to receive state guests were carried out to welcome Buddha’s relics from Sri Lanka. “All protocol associated with state guest will be followed. The relics will be welcomed by ‘Mahayana monks at the venue,” an official informed. 

The relics which had a special seat reserved on the Sri Lankan Airlines flight were received by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Inauguration of Kushinagar airport

The Kushinagar airport that has been built at an estimated cost of ₹260 crores will boost tourism on the Buddhist circuit and facilitate domestic and international travel to pilgrims visiting the ‘Mahaparinirvana’ site of Lord Buddha. 

Mahaparinirvana Temple in Kushinagar is said to be the place where Buddha left his mortal remains and achieved the supreme state of salvation or permanent bliss. Hence this temple is regarded as one of the most sacred shrines of Buddhists.

The international airport will also serve the nearby districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The project is being looked at as a crucial step in attracting investment and generating employment opportunities in the region.

Before heading for the inauguration, PM Modi will participate in an event marking Abhidhamma Day at the Mahaparinirvana Temple in Kushinagar. As per government officials, the PM will pay his respects to the reclining statue of Lord Buddha and will also plant a Bodhi tree sapling at the temple. 

Post-inauguration, Modi will be laying the foundation for several other developmental projects. This includes the Rajkiya Medical College, which will be built at a cost of over ₹280 crores, and 12 other developmental projects worth over ₹180 crores.

The event will also be attended by other eminent Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, South Korea, Nepal, Bhutan and Cambodia, as well as ambassadors of various countries.

Significance of Kushinagar

As per reports, archaeologists from the Archaeological Survey of India in 1898 had excavated a large mound in the estate of British landowner William Claxton Peppe in Piprahwa, in Uttar Pradesh’s Sidharthnagar district, 160 km away from Kushinagar.

A big stone box containing some caskets was recovered from the excavation. The inscription on one casket read, “Iyang saleela nidhane Budhasa bhagawathe sakiyanan sukithi bahathanan sabhagini kathan sasuna dalatha” which means “This noble deed of depositing of Buddha’s relics were carried out by the brothers, the sisters and the children of Sakyas.” 

“Thus, these relics are accepted as real (bone fragments, ashes, pieces of jewels of the Buddha,” informed an official. 

The Buddha relics obtained from this stupa were sent in parts to the kings of two countries- Thailand and Burma. While the third part was given to Sri Subhuthi Mahanayake Thero of the Waskaduwa Temple, Sri Lanka, who had helped the ASI team.

Especially for the event, a part of the relics embedded in three small lotuses encased in a crystal ball kept in a casket fixed on a wooden stand is being brought to Kushinagar for public exposition.

Mamita Meher murder case in Odisha: Charred, buried body recovered, opposition demands removal of minister Dibyashankar Mishra

OpIndia Staff
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Mamita Meher murder case in Odisha: Charred, buried body recovered, opposition demands removal of minister Dibyashankar Mishra

In Odisha’s Kalahandi district, a 24-year-old teacher named Mamita Meher had gone missing on October 8. On October 19, a badly charred and decomposed corpse of a woman was found buried in an under-construction stadium that is owned by the same institution where the teacher worked.

Though the identity of the body is yet to be confirmed, there is a strong possibility that it was the missing school teacher.

The case has created a political storm in the state. Accusations have been hurled at Dibyashankar Mishra, a BJD Minister and MLA of the same constituency where the incident has occurred. Both BJP and Congress have called for protests in the state.

Balangir’s BJP MP Sangeeta Singh Deo has called the incident shameful. Mamita hailed from a village in the Balangir district and had been working in the neighbouring Kalahandi district as a teacher in Mahaling Sunshine School.

Allegations against state minister and BJD leader Dibyashankar Mishra

A barrage of allegations, from involvement in a sex racket to complicity in the disappearance and possible murder of the schoolteacher, have been levelled against minister Dibyashankar Mishra. Mishra is an MLA from Junagarh, the constituency where Mahaling school is located.

On October 19, when the said corpse was being dug out from the Mahaling stadium with the help of an excavator, local political leaders stated that the minister was a frequent visitor to the schools and even stayed there in the night.

Speaking to Odia daily Sambada, Kalahandi Zilla Parishad chairperson Namitarani Sahu alleged, “Many ministers used to visit this school. Dibyashankar Mishra visited this school every week. There are three other colleges in this constituency, why did he have to visit this particular institution every time? He was also granting govt aid to this institution. He even stayed here in the night.”

It is notable here that the schoolteacher Mamita Meher was also the warden of the Girls’ hostel run by the Mahaling institution. There are some reports claiming that Mamita was on the verge of exposing an alleged sex racket running in the school before she suddenly disappeared.

Main accused flees from police custody, nabbed two days later

Gobinda Sahu, the main accused in the Mamita Meher disappearance (and now most likely murder) case, was nabbed and was under the custody of Titilagarh police when he escaped on October 17. The escape of the main accused has further irked the public and political opposition. Sahu was later arrested from Budhipadar in Bangomunda block, Balangir district on October 19.

Odisha police drew sharp criticism after Sahu’s escape. He had escaped from Titilagarh police barracks. The escape has further consolidated the allegations of complicity of ruling party leaders in the case.

Gobinda Sahu is the Management Committee president of the school where Mamita worked. As per reports, Sahu had called Mamita to come and meet him on the day she went missing. Reports say that Sahu and some other persons were allegedly sexually exploiting some women employees and Mamita had threatened to expose it.

Sahu was reportedly close to minister Minister Dibyashanakr Mishra. He had been involved in government projects and had also got grants from MPLAD and MLALAD funds.

Burned, then buried

The case was already under investigation after Mamita’s family filed a missing complaint. On October 19, the police brought in an excavator to dig in a spot at the under-construction stadium that is owned by the Mahaling institution. A badly charred body was then recovered from the ground.

Though the body, decomposed beyond recognition, was sent for forensic examination, Mamita’s family present at the spot confirmed that the gold chain, handbag and some other items found on the body belonged to their daughter.

As per the latest reports, the accused Gobinda Sahu, who was nabbed after 2 days of fleeing from custody, has now confessed to killing Mamita.

Latest reports say that Mamita’s murder was pre-planned. A car involved in the murder (OD08K 1002) has been confiscated by the police. Mamita was reportedly murdered after an argument with Gobinda Sahu. The body was burned and was later buried in a pit that was dug up on October 6. The suspected car was seized on October 14, and Mamita’s anklet and a jar of petrol was found in the car.

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